1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a method and system for injecting a fluid into a patient from a bulk container, and in particular to a method and system for so injecting or infusing contrast fluid which does not require disposal of the entire system, including the fluid supply container, after each patient use.
2. Description of Related Art
In the field of medical imaging, many procedures require the use of a contrast agent that is intravenously delivered to the patient, generally through the use of an associated power injector that controls the delivery rate and volume and predeterminately limits the pressure at which the contrast fluid is delivered. The current norm is to employ a disposable syringe that is bulky and costly, and a filling procedure that is difficult and time consuming. The syringe is intended for only a single use and is accordingly disposed of after each patient use. Present protocols also require that any contrast fluid that remains in the bottle or container of contrast fluid, once the container has been opened for use and/or fluid has been loaded into a syringe, be discarded. Since the contrast fluid is typically delivered in bulk containers which may hold far more fluid than is used for most imaging procedures, this often requires the disposal of a volume of yet unused contrast fluid. This entire process is thus extremely wasteful and costly to the medical system as a whole.